Have the folks running USA Basketball finally learned how to put a team together that can win at the international level? LeBron James thinks so. In a Time magazine story that comes out tomorrow, LeBron discussed what it would mean to bring home the gold, and went as far as to guarantee that it will happen.

After comparing the feeling of receiving a gold medal on the podium to opening a prized gift on Christmas morning, James was asked if that meant he would lead the Americans to the title.

"Absolutely," James responded.

Asked if he guaranteed it, he repeated, "Absolutely."

Let's be honest, guarantees in professional sports don't mean a whole heck of a lot, and when they don't come true, they're often quickly forgotten. I seriously doubt that if Team USA falls short of their goal that anyone's going to say to LeBron: "so hey, what about that guarantee? YOU LIED TO US!" But it appears that this might be the USA's best chance to win the gold since they last did it in 2000, so in reality, guaranteeing a victory this time around probably isn't that much of a stretch.

UPDATE: Video of the interview is now available, and may be viewed here.